Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Sarawak Cost of Living Comparison Between Penang and Sarawak

😐 Solo nomad: Penang is 15.1% more expensive than Sarawak without rent, and 3% cheaper with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Penang is 8.1% more expensive than Sarawak without rent, and 9.1% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.11 MYR 12.61

$3.60 MYR 14.62

-13.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.15 MYR 85.9

$19.20 MYR 77.9

10.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.33 MYR 17.57

$5.15 MYR 20.90

-15.92%

Cappuccino

$2.86 MYR 11.63

$2.73 MYR 11.08

4.76%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 MYR 2.96

$0.73 MYR 2.97

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.48

$0.39 MYR 1.59

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.29 MYR 17.41

$7.87 MYR 31.95

-45.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MYR 17.73

$8.15 MYR 33.09

-46.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MYR 7.63

$1.88 MYR 7.61

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.06

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 MYR 8.07

$1.29 MYR 5.23

54.26%

Eggs

$2.05 MYR 8.33

$2.10 MYR 8.54

-2.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.99 MYR 69.0

$15.27 MYR 62.0

11.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 MYR 21.02

$2.61 MYR 10.59

98.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 MYR 60.8

$9.48 MYR 38.49

57.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 MYR 11.26

$2.90 MYR 11.78

-4.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.87

$1.47 MYR 5.98

-2.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 MYR 10.96

$2.59 MYR 10.51

4.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MYR 8.47

$1.38 MYR 5.62

51.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$1.18 MYR 4.77

-4.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.97

$1.27 MYR 5.14

-3.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MYR 3.84

$1.04 MYR 4.24

-8.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.82

$0.64 MYR 2.59

-29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MYR 17.12

$4.35 MYR 17.65

-2.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 MYR 78.4

$15.49 MYR 62.9

24.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MYR 10.63

$2.82 MYR 11.45

-7.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 MYR 14.21

$2.89 MYR 11.74

21.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 MYR 1.85

$0.69 MYR 2.79

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.42 MYR 70.7

$11.95 MYR 48.51

45.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 MYR 2.83

$1.17 MYR 4.75

-40.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MYR 2.03

$0.99 MYR 4.00

-49.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 MYR 29.33

$6.03 MYR 24.48

19.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.88

$0.47 MYR 1.90

-2.13%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.9K MYR 137.6K

$34.8K MYR 141.3K

-2.65%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.7K MYR 112.3K

$31.8K MYR 128.9K

-12.90%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$38.60 MYR 157

$44.29 MYR 180

-12.85%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.03 MYR 40.71

$9.01 MYR 36.57

11.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.91 MYR 125

$29.01 MYR 118

6.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.64 MYR 133

$37.22 MYR 151

-12.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.52 MYR 22.40

$5.76 MYR 23.39

-4.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.90 MYR 19.88

$5.05 MYR 20.50

-2.97%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$238 MYR 968

$187 MYR 760

27.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,150 MYR 25.0K

$6,860 MYR 27.9K

-10.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 MYR 226

$36.75 MYR 149

51.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.29 MYR 119

$39.20 MYR 159

-25.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.4 MYR 245

$77.9 MYR 316

-22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.8 MYR 214

$56.3 MYR 229

-6.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 MYR 1,543

$336 MYR 1,365

13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$227 MYR 920

$270 MYR 1,095

-16.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$649 MYR 2,636

$505 MYR 2,051

28.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 MYR 2,113

$353 MYR 1,433

47.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,235 MYR 9,072

$1,620 MYR 6,578

37.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 MYR 4,693

$879 MYR 3,571

31.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$988 MYR 4,012

$425 MYR 1,726

132.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

4.07

2.21%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Penang: January 13, 2026

Last update for Sarawak: January 13, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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